http://www.showbizsandbox.com Showbiz Sandbox is a podcast featuring industry professionals J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward and Michael Giltz’s humorous viewpoints, insightful analysis and insider opinions on the latest entertainment news headlines. The weekly podcast features renowned industry guests, as well as phone calls and emails from listeners who voice their own opinions on the child’s play of the entertainment business. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:48:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 Showbiz Sandbox is a podcast featuring industry professionals J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward and Michael Giltz’s humorous viewpoints, insightful analysis and insider opinions on the latest entertainment news headlines. The weekly podcast features renowned industry guests, as well as phone calls and emails from listeners who voice their own opinions on the child’s play of the entertainment business. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz sperling@showbizsandbox.com sperling@showbizsandbox.com (J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz) 2009 The podcast that brings you all the dirt on the news making headlines around the entertainment world. Entertainment, Movies, Film, Television, TV, Music, Theater, Broadway http://www.showbizsandbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/showbiz-sandbox-podcast-artwork-with-photos.png http://www.showbizsandbox.com http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/07/12/showbiz-sandbox-62-the-secret-behind-hollywoods-accounting-practices/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/07/12/showbiz-sandbox-62-the-secret-behind-hollywoods-accounting-practices/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:55:49 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=919 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/07/12/showbiz-sandbox-62-the-secret-behind-hollywoods-accounting-practices/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Nash Bridges","Nightline","The Avengers","The Little Mermaid","Who Wants To Be A Millionaire",American Idol,Carl Icahn,Conan O'Brien,Daniel Craig,David Letterman,Disney How is it the last Harry Potter film can gross $938 million but still lose $130 million? Journalist and author Edward Jay Epstein joins us to unravel some of Hollywood’s quirky accounting practices. He’s written two books on the subject; The Hollywoo... How is it the last Harry Potter film can gross $938 million but still lose $130 million? Journalist and author Edward Jay Epstein (http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/) joins us to unravel some of Hollywood’s quirky accounting practices. He’s written two books on the subject; The Hollywood Economist: The Hidden Financial Reality Behind the Movies (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933633840?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933633840)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1933633840) and The Big Picture: Money and Power in Hollywood (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812973828?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812973828)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812973828). “Despicable Me” topped the box office though the amount it took in from 3D screens was rather low. Could audiences be tiring of paying exorbitant 3D ticket prices? Meanwhile, Miramax finally seems to have found a buyer and Lions Gate is trying to make piece with activist investor Carl Icahn. The Emmy nominations were announced last week and we’ll fill you in on whose up for the television’s big awards. Over in the world of music Pollstar announced that concert ticket sales are down 15% for the first half of the year. During our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment we race through a number of top entertainment headlines, including Roman Polanski’s release, Lindsay Lohan’s jail time and Mel Gibson getting dumped by his agency. Maybe Gibson can find some work on YouTube, which plans to offer $5 million in grants to select content partners. ‘Despicable Me’ Dominates http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2858&p=.htm (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2858&p=.htm) Lions Gate and Icahn Sign 10-Day Truce To Work On Deals http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/07/lions-gate.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/07/lions-gate-and-icahn-sign-10-day-truce-to-work-on-acquisitions.html) Miramax Sold To Ronald Tutor, Colony Capital http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i76b4.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i76b408899045994dd63fe6c004c2c183) Emmy Nominations 2010: Your Water Cooler Cheat Sheet http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/07/08/emmy-nominations-2010-snubs-trends-facts/ (http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/07/08/emmy-nominations-2010-snubs-trends-facts/) Emmy Snubs! Master Grouse List http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/emmy-snubs-master-grouse-list.htm (http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/emmy-snubs-master-grouse-list.htm) ABC News Nightline Is #1 Among Total Viewers http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/09/abc-news-nightline-is-1-among.... (http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/09/abc-news-nightline-is-1-among-total-viewers/56634) Saturday Night Live Breaks An Emmy Record http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/saturday-night-live-breaks.... (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/saturday-night-live-breaks-an-emmy-record-and-lorne-michaels-is-cool-with-that/) Concert Tickets Down 15% in First Half of 2010 http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/07/09/731238.aspx (http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/07/09/731238.aspx) ‘American Idol’ Eliminates Seven Tour Dates and Reshuffles Others http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/american.... (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/american-idol-eliminates-seven-tour-dates-and-reshuffles-others) YouTube Announces Partner Grants Program, Support For 4K Video Resolution http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/09/youtube-partner-program-4k (http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/09/youtube-partner-program-4k) YouTube Leanback Launches, Takes Aim At Your Television Set http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/07/youtube-leanback-tv/ (http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/07/youtube-leanback-tv/) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:05:16 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/04/26/showbiz-sandbox-51-ridley-scott-believes-3d-is-an-alien-concept/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/04/26/showbiz-sandbox-51-ridley-scott-believes-3d-is-an-alien-concept/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:51:45 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=793 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/04/26/showbiz-sandbox-51-ridley-scott-believes-3d-is-an-alien-concept/feed/ 0 "Alien","Avatar","Shrek Forever After","Song Sung Blue","South Park","The Green Hornet","The Last Airbender",3D,Bret Michaels,Brooks & Dunn,Cantor Exchange,Conan O'Brien Hollywood just won't stop talking about 3D movies, so unfortunately we can't either. It's hard to argue against 3D when films like "How To Train Your Dragon" keep coming in first at the box office, even after five weeks in theaters. Hollywood just won't stop talking about 3D movies, so unfortunately we can't either. It's hard to argue against 3D when films like "How To Train Your Dragon" keep coming in first at the box office, even after five weeks in theaters. With the announce... J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:05:35 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/22/showbiz-sandbox-46-hollywoods-latest-meme-is-3d/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/22/showbiz-sandbox-46-hollywoods-latest-meme-is-3d/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:29:30 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=737 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/22/showbiz-sandbox-46-hollywoods-latest-meme-is-3d/feed/ 0 "Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","Captain America","Clash of the Titans","Diary of a Wimpy Kid","How To Train Your Dragon",3D,Ben Folds,Chris Evans,Christian Slater,Conan O'Brien,James Cameron A "Wimpy Kid" couldn't beat "Alice In Wonderland" at the box office this weekend. The higher price for 3D tickets has turned "Alice" into Tim Burton's most successful film. And Hollywood studios have definitely noticed how well audiences are respondi... A "Wimpy Kid" couldn't beat "Alice In Wonderland" at the box office this weekend. The higher price for 3D tickets has turned "Alice" into Tim Burton's most successful film. And Hollywood studios have definitely noticed how well audiences are responding to 3D. The new format is so hot that, much to the annoyance of James Cameron, they have gone back to convert some upcoming releases to 3D, such as "Clash of the Titans". With thirty three 3D films presently slated for release in 2010 this has managed to create a bottle neck at movie theaters where there is usually only enough room to show one 3D film at a time.  It's gotten so competitive that Paramount has told theater owners that if they don't play "How to Train Your Dragon" on their 3D enabled screen, they won't send them a 2D print. But that means "Alice's" engagement will be cut short. Beginning to see the problem? While movie theaters don't have enough 3D screens and too much content, the exact opposite is true in the home. Television manufacturers are selling 3D enabled televisions but there is nothing to watch. Have no fear though, Major League Baseball, NCAA basketball and the PGA Masters all have plans for 3D broadcasts.   You can even see talk show host Conan O'Brien in 3D. Granted, you'll have to come to see him in person at one of the 30 live stage shows he's performing this summer around the U.S. Rumors are beginning to surface that O'Brien is edging closer to a deal with Fox for his own late-night laugher. Over in the world of music, two musicians (one professional, one not) use a new website, Chatroulette! (http://www.chatroulette.com/), to create some improvised viral videos.  Finally we touch on some Viacom-YouTube news and Rosie O'Donnell's return to TV in Big Deal or Big Whoop before spending some time trying to understand why Spotify (http://www.spotify.com/int/), Europe's successful music service, is having trouble launching in North America. 'Dragon' Versus 'Titans' Versus 'Alice' In Fight Over 3-D Screens http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-dragons18-2010mar18,0,3786136.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-dragons18-2010mar18,0,3786136.story) 'Avatar' Director James Cameron: 3D Promising But Caution Needed http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/03/james.... (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/03/james-cameron/1) 'Avatar' Will Hit Blu-Ray and DVD On Earth Day April 22 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/03/avatar-.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/03/avatar-.html) Masters and Final Four In 3D Next Month http://hollywoodinhidef.com/2010/03/masters-and-final-four-in-3d-next-month/ (http://hollywoodinhidef.com/2010/03/masters-and-final-four-in-3d-next-month/) 3D MLB Coming Sooner http://hollywoodinhidef.com/2010/03/3d-mlb-coming-sooner/ (http://hollywoodinhidef.com/2010/03/3d-mlb-coming-sooner/) As Conan-Fox Heats Up A Syndie Scenario Emerges http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/conan-fox-talks-heat-syndie-scenario.... (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/conan-fox-talks-heat-syndie-scenario-emerges-15357) Conan O'Brien Plots A Movie Maneuver http://www.deadline.com/2010/03/conan-obrien-plots-a-movie-maneuver/ (http://www.deadline.com/2010/03/conan-obrien-plots-a-movie-maneuver/) Idol Album Sales: Danny Gokey, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Etc. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2010/03/idol-album.... (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2010/03/idol-album-sales-danny-gokey-daughtry-kelly-clarkson-etc/1) American Idol Airplay: Adam Lambert Climbs, Kris Allen Start To Slip http://www.examiner.com/x-11363-TV-Examiner~y2010m3d22-American-Idol.... (http://www.examiner.com/x-11363-TV-Examiner~y2010m3d22-American-Idol-airplay-Adam-Lambert-climbs-Kris-Allen-starts-to-slip) Chat Roulette Funny Improve #1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32vpgNiAH60 (http://www.youtube. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:03:27 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/15/showbiz-sandbox-45-changing-faces-at-variety/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/15/showbiz-sandbox-45-changing-faces-at-variety/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:03:26 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=729 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/15/showbiz-sandbox-45-changing-faces-at-variety/feed/ 0 "Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","Glee",AC/DC,Anne Thompson,Billboard,Corey Haim,David Letterman,Jay Leno,Katherine Heigl,Mel Gibson,OK Go Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” took the top spot at the box office again this week, which might be why 3D is causing quite a stir at ShoWest this year in Las Vegas. J. Sperling Reich fills us in on what theatre owners are talking about at the annu... Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” took the top spot at the box office again this week, which might be why 3D is causing quite a stir at ShoWest this year in Las Vegas. J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) fills us in on what theatre owners are talking about at the annual convention. This week Hollywood suffered another untimely death, this time it was actor Corey Haim at age 38. In happier news (for some), Jay Leno seems to be doing quite well back in his old time slot. The late night funnyman went back to “The Tonight Show” and ratings soared. What does this mean for Conan O’Brien and his chances for launching a competing late night talk show? In music news, Billboard published a list of the Top 40 Moneymakers of 2009. Its well worth checking out as you might be surprised who makes the list. (Although it’s no surprise that U2 tops the list.) Finally, we are joined by indieWIRE’s Anne Thompson (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com) during our Inside Baseball segment to talk about why Variety, the industry’s top trade paper is laying off staff members, including Todd McCarthy, their top film critic. Is this a sign of impending doom for the daily?  Panavision Heads Into Theatres With Hybrid 3D System http://celluloidjunkie.com/2010/03/14/panavision-heads-into-theatres-with-hybrid.... (http://celluloidjunkie.com/2010/03/14/panavision-heads-into-theatres-with-hybrid-3d-system/) Corey Haim Dies At 38 http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/10/local/la-me-corey-haim11-2010mar11 (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/10/local/la-me-corey-haim11-2010mar11) Fox Mulling Summer “Avatar” Re-Release http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i474fda2d02866bfd711a3d89a21b17a7) Letterman Harasser Pleads Guilty Gets Six Months In Jail http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/03/letterman.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/03/letterman-harasser-pleads-guilty-gets-six-months.html) Billboard lists the Top 40 Moneymakers of 2009 http://www.billboard.com/news/2010-money-makers-list-1004071338.story.... (http://www.billboard.com/news/2010-money-makers-list-1004071338.story#/news/2010-money-makers-list-1004071338.story) Katherine Heigl's "Greys Anatomy" Days Are Done http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/03/report-katherine-heigls.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/03/report-katherine-heigls-greys-anatomy-days-are-done.html) Mel Gibson Says Viking Movie May Be His Last http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/03/mel-gibson-says-vikings.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/03/mel-gibson-says-vikings-movie-with-leonardo-dicaprio-may-be-his-last.html/) OK Go Have Done It Again http://www.sugarscape.com/node/474870 (http://www.sugarscape.com/node/474870) Glee Tour Adds More Dates and Cities http://www.gleetour2010.com/ (http://www.gleetour2010.com/) Variety Sued Over "Iron Cross" http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/variety-sued-over-movie-promotion-gone.... (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/variety-sued-over-movie-promotion-gone-wrong-15111) Variety Follows Oscars By Cutting 8, Including Chief Film Critic http://paidcontent.org/article/419-variety-follows-oscars-by-cutting-8-including-chief.... (http://paidcontent.org/article/419-variety-follows-oscars-by-cutting-8-including-chief-film-critic/) Variety Editor’s Memo http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=179168 (http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=179168) Variety Cuts Its Life Blood: Critics McCarthy and Rooney http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/03/08/variety_lays_off_its.... (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/03/08/variety_lays_off_its_lifes_blood_critics_mccarthy_and_rooney/) Facebook Group: We'll Pay To Read Todd McCarthy http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/facebook-group-well-pay-read-todd.... (http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:01:48 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/08/showbiz-sandbox-44-and-the-six-oscars-go-to-hurt-locker/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/08/showbiz-sandbox-44-and-the-six-oscars-go-to-hurt-locker/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:14:21 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=715 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/08/showbiz-sandbox-44-and-the-six-oscars-go-to-hurt-locker/feed/ 0 "Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","Precious","The Colbert Report","The Daily Show","The Hurt Locker",Academy Awards,Cablevision,Christolph Waltz,Conan O'Brien,Disney,Hulu The ballots have been counted, the envelopes have been opened and the nominees have undoubtedly returned their ball gowns and tuxes. Finally, after all the news coverage and public speculation about who would this year's Oscars, The ballots have been counted, the envelopes have been opened and the nominees have undoubtedly returned their ball gowns and tuxes. Finally, after all the news coverage and public speculation about who would this year's Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences put us out of our misery on Sunday during their annual awards ceremony. The proceedings lasted more than three hours as usual and provided very few surprises. Katheryn Bigelow made history by being the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar for "The Hurt Locker", which won six awards in total including Best Screenplay and Best Picture. Jim Cameron's "Avatar" won three technical awards for art direction, cinematography and visual effects. One of the night's biggest surprises was when Geoffrey Fletcher walked off with the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for "Precious", upsetting Jason Reitman's "Up In The Air". As we predicted on last week's episode, Jeff Bridges won Best Actor for "Crazy Heart", Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for "The Blind Side", Mo'Nique won Best Supporting Actress for "Precious" and Christolph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for "Inglorious Basterds". Damien Bona, co-author of the book Inside Oscar (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345400534?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345400534)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0345400534), stops by to help us analyze this year's Oscar results. Believe it or not, there were a few other entertainment news stories this week besides the Oscars. In fact, the Oscars weren't even the only awards show. The Spirit Awards were handed out the day before the Academy Awards and "Precious" walked of with. . . well, just about every top prize. At movie theatres, Tim Burton's 3D adaptation of "Alice In Wonderland" opened to over $210 million worldwide, setting records for a March debut. Over in the world of television, Conan O'Brien may no longer have a talk show, but he does have a Twitter account. Maybe he can use it to promote his upcoming live stage tour. Viacom has pulled "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" off of Hulu (for now). Is the move just a negotiating tactic for Viacom to get an ownership stake in Hulu? Meanwhile Disney was getting into scuffles of its own. It pulled the entire ABC network off of Cablevision over a retransmission fee dispute with the cable operator. If you don't know what retransmission is all about, make sure to listen to this week's Inside Baseball segment to get caught up on a topic you are sure to hear more about in the months ahead. 'The Hurt Locker' Wins Big At Oscars http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/movies/awardsseason/08oscars.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/movies/awardsseason/08oscars.html) "Precious" Tops Spirit Awards http://www.indiewire.com/article/list_of_spirit_award_winners_in_progress/pem (http://www.indiewire.com/article/list_of_spirit_award_winners_in_progress/pem) Indie Spirits: "Precious" Sweeps, Izzard and LA Live Fizzle http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/03/06/indie_spirits.... (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/03/06/indie_spirits_precious_sweeps_izzard_and_la_live_fizzle/pem) Conan O'Brien Live Tour Confirmed http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/2010/03/05/conan-obrien-live-tour-confirmed/ (http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/2010/03/05/conan-obrien-live-tour-confirmed/) Conan Twitter Tracker: How Conan Met Sarah http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/03/conan-twitter-tracker.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/03/conan-twitter-tracker-how-conan-met-sarah.html) Joaquin Phoenix says he's ready to act; just looking for good script http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/2010/03/06/joaquin-phoenix-says-hell-come.... (http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/2010/03/06/joaquin-phoenix-says-hell-come-back-to-movies/) Viacom Pulls Daily Show/Colbert Report from Hulu J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:04:25 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/15/showbiz-sandbox-42-tom-cruise-takes-a-pay-cut-and-other-indignities/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/15/showbiz-sandbox-42-tom-cruise-takes-a-pay-cut-and-other-indignities/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:32:14 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=677 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/15/showbiz-sandbox-42-tom-cruise-takes-a-pay-cut-and-other-indignities/feed/ 0 "24","Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","Clash of the Titans","How To Train Your Dragon","Lost","Mission Impossible IV","Superman",Bob Iger,Christopher Nolan,Disney,iPad We only talk about "Avatar" for a couple of seconds in this week’s podcast, thank goodness. Instead, we focus on actors campaigning for their Oscars (and a few who aren’t). We also discuss what we call “the 3D movie brouhaha” which has made Jeffrey Ka... We only talk about "Avatar" for a couple of seconds in this week’s podcast, thank goodness. Instead, we focus on actors campaigning for their Oscars (and a few who aren’t). We also discuss what we call “the 3D movie brouhaha” which has made Jeffrey Katzenberg irate. In TV news, co-hosts Karen Woodward (http://www.karenwoodwardonline.com) and Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com/) are passionate about the Olympics and the absurdity of “Lost” (even recaps are confusing!) And, after 28 years, MTV is changing its logo to reflect that the channel is no longer just about “music television”. They may be about 10 years too late. Co-host J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) jumps into one of his favorite topics – new media – and reminds us that this guy named Steve Jobs sits on the board of Disney and is one of the top shareholders. No wonder Disney CEO Robert Igor called the underwhelming iPad “a really compelling device” that could be a game changer. We’ll hold off our thoughts on the new Apple product until we see if it really will change the way entertainment is distributed.  All the top entertainment news stories of the week are rehashed in our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment before we end with some Inside Baseball, and a heated debate over journalistic plagiarism. Programming Note: Sperling is on assignment next week, so we will not be recording a podcast. It’s a good time for you to download a few of our past episodes over on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=315942437) or the Zune Marketplace (http://social.zune.net/podcast/Showbiz-Sandbox/106b3ff8-0b50-4577-8e9d-777626418d31)! Oscar Diva Smackdown http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-08/oscars-diva-smackdown/ (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-08/oscars-diva-smackdown/) Alice Might Get Shorter Theatrical Run http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6c8a99.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6c8a99484479c6fe23ff6a8804817a27) http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/02/are-movie-theater.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/02/are-movie-theater-owners-playing-the-heavy-in-alice-in-wonderland-dvd-controversy.html) Katzenberg Angry Over Warner Bros Clash Of The Titans release http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/katzenberg-.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/katzenberg-.html) Next Spider-Man Movie to be in 3-D http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/10/arts/AP-US-Film-Spider-Man-4.html (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/10/arts/AP-US-Film-Spider-Man-4.html) Tom Cruise and Paramount Reunite For Fourth Mission http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie48d97.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie48d97158d5e5659bbcad877a67320a9?imw=Y) MTV's New Logo http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=142017 (http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=142017) “Lost” Recap http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2010/02/lost-season-6-answers-answered-ep-2.html (http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2010/02/lost-season-6-answers-answered-ep-2.html) Disney's Iger Takes a Big Swig of iPad KoolAid http://paidcontent.org/article/419-disneys-iger-takes-big-swig-of-ipad-kool-aid/ (http://paidcontent.org/article/419-disneys-iger-takes-big-swig-of-ipad-kool-aid/) HBO Gets Kathryn Bigelow For Pilot http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i2fac53d5f65010f7.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i2fac53d5f65010f7c12bdd0489f96600) 24 Headed To The Big Screen http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014913.html?categoryId=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014913.html?categoryId=13&cs=1) USA Posts Sharp Drops for White Collar, Psych http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/cable-tv/e3ie4.... (http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:02:47 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/08/showbiz-sandbox-41-live-nation-becomes-the-master-of-tickets/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/08/showbiz-sandbox-41-live-nation-becomes-the-master-of-tickets/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:47:00 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=665 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/08/showbiz-sandbox-41-live-nation-becomes-the-master-of-tickets/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Catfish","Daredevil","Stretch Armstrong","The Tillman Story",American Idol,Boxee,David Letterman,Howard Stern,Hulu,Jay Leno,Jeff Zucker We swear we’re trying not to talk so much about Avatar, and although this seemed like a good week to skip the Ava-chat (congrats “Dear John!”), alas, the news cycle had other ideas. - But wait! There was also some important television news! Namely, We swear we’re trying not to talk so much about Avatar, and although this seemed like a good week to skip the Ava-chat (congrats “Dear John!”), alas, the news cycle had other ideas. But wait! There was also some important television news! Namely, the Super Bowl, which drew an average of 106.5 million people, just edging out "MASH's" 106 million people in 1983. And football fans didn’t just watch the Saints win; they also watched the ads (which are sometimes the best part of the Super Bowl). This year’s favorite seems to be the Leno-Oprah-Letterman ad, but you be the judge. Where was Conan? Probably negotiating with Fox? It certainly seems like Rupert Murdoch plans on playing hardball with Team Coco (whenever he’s not unofficially greenlighting “Avatar 2”). A company that doesn’t appear to be negotiating is Hulu, or is it NBC? During a Congressional hearing last week to investigate Comcast’s proposed acquisition of NBC, a representative asked NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker, “What about Boxee?” Yeah Jeff, what about Boxee? Zucker claims the blocking of Hulu content on Boxee was a Hulu management decision. According to Zucker the Boxee social media software (which allowers viewers to watch streaming video on their TVs) was illegally taking Hulu’s content. However Boxee CEO Avner Ronan points out that Boxee is not taking it illegally. And Hulu CEO Jason Kilar wrote in a year-old blog post, “Our content providers requested that we turn off access to our content via the Boxee product, and we are respecting their wishes. “ He doesn’t specifically say NBC, but… we think he means NBC. So, Jeff, what about Boxee?! Finally, Joe Reinartz (http://www.pollstar.com/), the news editor at concert industry trade publication Pollstar, joins us to discuss the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation and what will mean for the future of the music business, concerts, and consumers. Rupert Murdoch Unofficially Greenlights "Avatar 2" http://www.movieline.com/2010/02/hollywood-ink-rupert-murdoch-unofficially.... (http://www.movieline.com/2010/02/hollywood-ink-rupert-murdoch-unofficially-greenlights-avatar-2.php) Avatar In The Amazon http://www.pri.org/arts-entertainment/movies/avatar-in-the-amazon1863.html (http://www.pri.org/arts-entertainment/movies/avatar-in-the-amazon1863.html) How is Avatar not an animated film? http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbeat/archive/2010/02/02/how-is-avatar-.... (http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbeat/archive/2010/02/02/how-is-avatar-not-an-animated-film.aspx) Apolitics And The War Film http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/weekinreview/07aoscott.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/weekinreview/07aoscott.html) Relativity/Rogue grabs 'Catfish' http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/02/04/sundance_watch.... (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/02/04/sundance_watch_relativity_rogue_grabs_catfish/) Weinsteins Finally Conclude Deal For Sundance Hit "The Tillman Story" http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/sundance/sundance-news/weinsteins-finally.... (http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/sundance/sundance-news/weinsteins-finally-conclude-deal-for-sundance-hit-the-tillman-story/5010485.article) More New Helmers Get Their Hollywood Shot http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/damn-yankees-daddys-home-more-new-helmers.... (http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/damn-yankees-daddys-home-more-new-helmers-get-their-hollywood-shot/) Super Bowl Viewership Sets Record http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014867.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014867.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) Letterman/Leno Win Super Bowl Ad Wars http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/super-bowl-ad-watch-a-look-at.... (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/super-bowl-ad-watch-a-look-at-the-other-side-of-tonights-game/) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/business/media/08adco.html?hp=&adxnnl.... (http://www.nytimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:09:37 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/03/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-and-the-oscar-nominations-go-to/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/03/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-and-the-oscar-nominations-go-to/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:23:00 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=656 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/03/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-and-the-oscar-nominations-go-to/feed/ 0 "(500) Days Of Summer","Avatar","District 9","Inglorious Basterds","The Blind Side","Up In The Air","Up",Academy Awards,James Cameron,Kathryn Bigelow,Oscars Early Tuesday morning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out their nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards. This is the first year since 1943 (when Casablanca won) that the Academy is expanding the list of Best Picture nominees to ... Early Tuesday morning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (http://www.oscars.org/) handed out their nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards. This is the first year since 1943 (when Casablanca won) that the Academy is expanding the list of Best Picture nominees to 10, up from the traditional five. The Academy's original goal in increasing the field of nominees was that more popular films would be nominated, rather than a handful of independent films few are familiar with. It's safe to say, they got their wish. Not only were predictable entries nominated, such as "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker", but so were a few surprises that included crowd favorites such as "The Blind Side" and "District 9". Even Pixar's "Up" was nominated, making it the second film to ever be nominated for an Oscar. Of course, this year even if the list of Best Picture nominees hadn't expanded, "Avatar", the biggest box office winner of all time, was a lock for one of the slots. If "Avatar" wins Best Picture it will be the first time in 12 years that a movie which wasn't nominated for Best Screenplay takes home the top prize. The last time that happened was when another James Cameron film won in 1997, "Titanic". You'd have to go all the way back to "The Sound of Music" to see such a win. Based on the complicated way votes will be counted for Best Picture, we could have a real surprise winner in the Best Picture category. In fact, a film that receives more second place votes may actually win. On the other hand, Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) believes the acting nominees were lazy and filled with the usual suspects. He was hoping the Academy would take a few chances in selecting some performances which hadn't been chosen by the Golden Globes or the SAG Awards. That happens to be the case for Jeremy Renner, who is nominated in the Best Actor category for his performance in "Hurt Locker". As well, despite a strong crop of animated releases this year, "Up" will probably take home the Best Animated Feature trophy. That film was also nominated for Best Original Score and Best Screenplay. We'll have to wait until March 7th when the Oscars are handed out to find out who all the winners are, but before then we plan on handicapping them with your help. Please email us (mailto:dirt@showbizsandbox.com) your thoughts on who might in each category. You can also leave us a voicemail (888-567-7263) or leave a comment on this post. Your emails, comments and voicemails will be included in a future episode. Nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/82/nominees.html (http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/82/nominees.html) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 27:53 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/01/showbiz-sandbox-40-taylor-aint-swift-at-the-grammys/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/01/showbiz-sandbox-40-taylor-aint-swift-at-the-grammys/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:54:35 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=646 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/01/showbiz-sandbox-40-taylor-aint-swift-at-the-grammys/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Catfish","Jersey Shore","Lost","Transformers 3",Alison Willmore,Beyonce,David Wild,Geoff Boucher,grammys,Jay Leno,Kathryn Bigelow The highlights of this week’s entertainment news were the Grammys and Sundance. First though, there was “Avatar”, “Avatar”, and more “Avatar”. The 3D wunderkind was number one at the box office again and has sold roughly 56 million tickets in North Am... The highlights of this week’s entertainment news were the Grammys and Sundance. First though, there was “Avatar”, “Avatar”, and more “Avatar”. The 3D wunderkind was number one at the box office again and has sold roughly 56 million tickets in North America so far. “Titanic” sold roughly 128 million admissions in North America, so if “Avatar” did that, it would gross about $1.2 billion in the U.S alone. But there is more going on in the entertainment world besides “Avatar”. The music world gathered for the Grammys on Sunday, January 31. Geoff Boucher (http://twitter.com/latherocomplex) from the Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/) and David Wild (http://twitter.com/wildaboutmusic), one of the writers on the Grammy telecast, join us to discuss the hits (Pink’s performance), the misses (Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks) and what was going on backstage (Alice Cooper hangs with Smokey Robinson). The Grammys weren’t the only prizes handed out over the weekend. Sundance announced its festival winners and Alison Willmore (http://twitter.com/alisonwillmore), a senior editor at IFC.com (http://www.ifc.com), stops by to talk about her favorite festival films and a few she recommends skipping. (Pause for J. Sperling Reich to geek out asking Alison about all the movies she didn’t manage to see in Park City this year.) Meanwhile, Michael Giltz and Karen Woodward are still arguing over the Jay Leno - Conan O’Brien debacle. This week they have Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Leno to debate. Was Jay able to do some damage control, or will America turn off their TV’s when he returns to “The Tonight Show”? Lastly, in Inside Baseball news, indie film great Miramax has officially shut its doors. Or more accurately, Miramax had their doors shut for them by Disney. The film company, named after the parents of co-founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Miriam and Max, will live on as a shell of its former self as Disney searches for a buyer. The closing of Miramax makes those of us who were around when “Pulp Fiction” was released feel very, very old. Avatar Ticket Sales in US http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/movies/awardsseason/27record.html?8dpc (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/movies/awardsseason/27record.html?8dpc) Is This A Box Office Record with an *? http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-bigpicture30-2010jan.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-bigpicture30-2010jan30,0,7457451.story) Avatar Plot FAIL. http://failblog.org/2010/01/10/avatar-plot-fail/ (http://failblog.org/2010/01/10/avatar-plot-fail/) Breakdown of Avatar Costs http://graphjam.com/2010/01/19/funny-graphs-avatar-costs/ (http://graphjam.com/2010/01/19/funny-graphs-avatar-costs/) Kathryn Bigelow Is First Woman To Win DGA Award http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/feb/01/kathryn-bigelow-first-woman-dga-award (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/feb/01/kathryn-bigelow-first-woman-dga-award) IFC’s Sundance Coverage http://www.ifc.com/sundance/ (http://www.ifc.com/sundance/) Alison Willmore's Writing On IFC.com http://www.ifc.com/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&id=6 (http://www.ifc.com/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&id=6) "Winter's Bone", "Restrepo" Lead Sundance Award Winners http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance_10_awards_in_progress/ (http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance_10_awards_in_progress/) Best & Worst of Sundance: "Gasland", "Giftshop" Lead Critics Polls http://www.indiewire.com/article/best_worst_of_sundance_gift_shop_gasland_lead_critics_poll/ (http://www.indiewire.com/article/best_worst_of_sundance_gift_shop_gasland_lead_critics_poll/) Sundance Sales Pick Up http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014532.html (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014532.html) Karina Longworth’s Sundance Coverage http://www.voicefilm.com/search.php?tag=sundance&blog_id=175 (http://www.voicefilm.com/search.php?tag=sundance&blog_id=175) Not Even Oprah Can Keep America From Hating Jay J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:03:56 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/25/showbiz-sandbox-39-chez-sundance/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/25/showbiz-sandbox-39-chez-sundance/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:56:50 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=635 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/25/showbiz-sandbox-39-chez-sundance/feed/ 0 "Avatar","The Tonight Show",Aerosmith,Angelina Jolie,Brad Pitt,Conan O'Brien,Jay Leno,MPAA,NBC,Quincy Jones,Roman Polanski,SAG Awards Co-host Karen Woodward puts a moratorium on any more talk of “Avatar”, James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic which continues to break box office records. So instead, we skip straight to Sundance, where the atmosphere has gone from recession (last year) to de... Co-host Karen Woodward (http://www.karenwoodwardonline.com) puts a moratorium on any more talk of “Avatar”, James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic which continues to break box office records. So instead, we skip straight to Sundance, where the atmosphere has gone from recession (last year) to depression (this year). J. Sperling Reich is in the snowy, cold ski town and fills us in on the movies everyone in Park City is buzzing about. If you can’t make it to Sundance this year, no worries, you’ll be able to catch a few of the festival’s selections on YouTube. Also in movie news, anti-smoking activists are claiming that Sigourney Weaver’s line “Where’s my damn cigarette” in “Avatar” should have earned the film an R rating. What set of rules is the MPAA going by when they come up with some of their absurd ratings? After a brief fly by of the SAG Awards, we head over to television land.  Things have calmed down in the Conan vs. Leno vs. NBC war, but Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) and Karen must not have gotten the memo. They argue over who was wronged more by the whole debacle. Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien hosted his last “Tonight Show” on Friday.  During our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment we learn that the rumors of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s split are indeed, just rumors, however the rumors that Aerosmith might be replacing lead singer Steven Tyler seem to be true. Also, Quincy Jones will revisit “We Are The World” and Roman Polanski will have to revisit the United States if he wants to be sentenced for his rape conviction. During Inside Baseball, Michael and Karen lock horns once again over “transmedia storytelling.” Don’t know what it is? Listen to this episode and you’ll learn all about it! Chez Betty http://www.chezbetty.com (http://www.chezbetty.com) YouTube to Sundance: Independent Filmmakers Wanted http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/01/youtube-to-sundance-independent.html (http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/01/youtube-to-sundance-independent.html) Johnny Depp Sets Sail On Fourth Pirate Movie http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-pirates-4.html (http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-pirates-4.html) This Article Is Not Yet Rated http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/movies/24scott.html?hpw (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/movies/24scott.html?hpw) ‘Clash of Titans’ 3D Decision Coming Soon http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/01/clash-of-titans-in-3d-decision.... (http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/01/clash-of-titans-in-3d-decision-coming-soon.html) Conan Gets A big Sendoff http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/01/conan-gets-a-big.... (http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/01/conan-gets-a-big-sendoff-his-tonight-farewell-) Jay Leno's Point of View http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/leno-deconstructs.... (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/leno-deconstructs-his-own-predicament/?hp) Falling Late-Night Ad Prices Will Shape Conan's and Leno's Futures http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-fi-ct-latenight25.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-fi-ct-latenight25-2010jan25,0,879701.story) Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Break-Up Rumors False http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/01/24/brad-pitt-and-angelina-jolie.... (http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/01/24/brad-pitt-and-angelina-jolie-break-up-rumors-false/) Joe Perry Says Aerosmith Is Auditioning New Lead Singer http://www.thewrap.com/article/joe-perry-says-aerosmith.... (http://www.thewrap.com/article/joe-perry-says-aerosmith-auditioning-lead-singers-13407) New Study: People Don’t Watch Commercials on DVRs http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/special-reports/digital-hot-list.... (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/special-reports/digital-hot-list/e3id3e0b71b5f1a6df4adcce747dc0ee4d4) 8-18 year Olds Consuming More Media than Ever http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6715693.html?nid=2286&rid.... (http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:06:51 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/18/showbiz-sandbox-38-gender-matters-in-hollywood/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/18/showbiz-sandbox-38-gender-matters-in-hollywood/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:13:36 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=623 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/18/showbiz-sandbox-38-gender-matters-in-hollywood/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Spider-Man 4","The Hurt Locker",Academy Awards,Ann Hornaday,Conan O'Brien,David Letterman,Dylan Stableford,Golden Globes,Guy Lodge,In Contention,IndieWire The New Year may have started off slow, but 2010 is heating up! “Avatar” is on track to top “Titanic” as the highest grossing film of all time, The Golden Globes were handed out on Sunday and of course the late night talk show war has really taken some... The New Year may have started off slow, but 2010 is heating up! “Avatar” is on track to top “Titanic” as the highest grossing film of all time, The Golden Globes were handed out on Sunday and of course the late night talk show war has really taken some interesting turns. Dylan Stableford (http://twitter.com/stableford) who writes The Wrap’s Media Alley (http://www.thewrap.com/column/media-alley) column joins us to talk about his post, “The Vilification of Leno: Loud, Nasty and Fleeting (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/vilification-jay-leno-does-it-matter-12930).” Will audiences warm up to Jay Leno again? Who was the bad guy in all this fracas? Leno, Conan O’Brien, or NBC? In movie news, director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire dropped out of “Spider-Man 4” and Sony now says it plans to reboot the franchise with a younger actor. Finally, though she didn’t win a Golden Globe, director Kathryn Bigelow is earning critical praise for her film “The Hurt Locker.” Academy Award nominations have yet to be announced, but she appears to have a lock on one, and may be the first woman to win the best director Oscar in the history of the awards show. Women in Hollywood and the film industry is a topic we discuss frequently here on Showbiz Sandbox thanks in part to Karen Woodward. Joining us to discuss the issue today is Matthew Hammett Knott a London-based writer and guest columnist at indieWIRE who wrote a post titled, “Is Kathryn Bigelow a Female Director? (http://www.indiewire.com/article/for_your_consideration_is_kathryn_bigelow_a_female_director/)” Picking up where Matthew left off is Guy Lodge, a freelance writer and screenwriter based in London, who is a contributor to the In Contention Blog, which covers the awards season. He wrote a post recently on In Contention titled “How Relevant is Kathryn Bigelow's Gender? (http://incontention.com/?p=20468)” Finally, we are joined by Ann Hornaday (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/articles/ann+hornaday/), film critic for the Washington Post, whose article on women in film (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102300194.html?sid=ST2009102204685) we discussed a few weeks ago on Showbiz Sandbox. Let the debates begin. Spider-Man Gets A Reboot http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2010/01_10/011220.... (http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2010/01_10/01122010_spm4.html) It's Over! NBC To Pay Conan $30 Million http://www.thewrap.com/article/breaking-nbc-pay-conan-30m-13048 (http://www.thewrap.com/article/breaking-nbc-pay-conan-30m-13048) Tallying The NBC Damage http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-15/.... (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-15/tallying-the-nbc-damage/) The Vilification of Leno: Loud, Nasty and Fleeting http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/vilification-jay-leno-does-it-matter-12930 (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/vilification-jay-leno-does-it-matter-12930) Guess Who Said It? Late Night Edition http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/guess-who-said-it-late-night-edition/ (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/guess-who-said-it-late-night-edition/ ) Did TMZ gain glory or did they lose face by jumping gun before it was actually settled? http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia62d19a7acb838db6035b952fde09415) Beyonce Performs for Gadaffi http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/beyonce-performing-gaddafi-photos-surface/ (http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/beyonce-performing-gaddafi-photos-surface/) Glee's Matthew Morrison Signs To Mercury Records http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/glee-s.... (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/glee-s-matthew-morrison-signs-to-mercury-records) For Your Consideration: Is Kathryn Bigelow A Female Director? http://www.indiewire. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:18:26 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/11/showbiz-sandbox-37-conan-and-lenos-late-shift-shrift/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/11/showbiz-sandbox-37-conan-and-lenos-late-shift-shrift/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:18:59 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=615 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/11/showbiz-sandbox-37-conan-and-lenos-late-shift-shrift/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Lost","X Factor",American Idol,Ben Silverman,CES,Conan O'Brien,David Colker,Fox News,Jay Leno,Jeffrey Gaspin,Los Angeles Times It's official: Simon Cowell will be leaving "American Idol" this season and NBC (finally!) admits that airing "The Jay Leno Show" in primetime five nights a week was a mistake. Cowell is headed off to start a new reality talent show, "X Factor", It's official: Simon Cowell will be leaving "American Idol" this season and NBC (finally!) admits that airing "The Jay Leno Show" in primetime five nights a week was a mistake. Cowell is headed off to start a new reality talent show, "X Factor", while Jay Leno is headed back to his old late night time slot, at least for a half-hour. But where will Conan O'Brien's tonight show end up? Right now NBC wants to push him back a half hour. In theaters, "Avatar" just will not go away. It stays firm at the top of the box office again this week. “Daybreakers” staring Ethan Hawke, also did well in its debut, but the Amy Adams vehicle “Leap Year” didn’t leap anywhere. Meanwhile, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) tries to sell us on 3D television and video rental service Netflix reaches an important agreement with Warner Bros. David Colker (http://www.twitter.com/davidcolker), a business reporter covering technology for the Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology) gives us the low down on CES, espcially all the 3D televisions announced at the show (which aren’t even available for sale yet). Do consumers even want 3D television? More importantly, how are we prepared to wear those funny 3D glasses at home? As for Netflix, Will Richmond (http://www.twitter.com/videonuze), president of Broadband Directions and editor of VideoNuze.com (http://www.videonuze.com/), helps us decipher their deal with Warner Bros. The agreement delays the studio's DVD releases to Netflix customers by 28 days while increasing the number of Warner films that are available for digital streaming. In addition, Warner Bros. will lower the per-disc price it charges Netflix to purchase DVDs. That alone could save Netflix millions. Richmond explains why the deal is a win for everyone: Netflix, Warner Brothers, and the consumer. Simon Cowell Leaving Idol http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/cowell-to-leave-idol/?hp (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/cowell-to-leave-idol/?hp) 'X Factor' Debut Could Mean A Simon Cowell-less 'American Idol' http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cowell11-2010jan11,0,2968814.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cowell11-2010jan11,0,2968814.story) NBC Kicks Jay Leno Out Of Prime Time http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013563.html?categoryid=1292&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013563.html?categoryid=1292&cs=1) NBC Greenlights Six Drama Pilots http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i936d3d2c48ddaeb1a2d9ead12d47b795 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i936d3d2c48ddaeb1a2d9ead12d47b795) First 3D Dedicated Networks Coming To TV http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10425553-93.html (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10425553-93.html) DirecTV to Offer All 3D Satellite TV Channels To Home Viewers http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/01/panasonic-directv.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/01/panasonic-directv.html) Do Consumers Really Want 3D TV? http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/do-consumers-really-want-3d-tvs/ (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/do-consumers-really-want-3d-tvs/) Ben Silverman's Electus Strikes Deal With Yahoo! http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3if944e88734e00aa3e05308366dedea44 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3if944e88734e00aa3e05308366dedea44) Lost - Is TV Show A Franchise That Will Live On? http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013523.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&ref=bd_tv (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013523.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&ref=bd_tv) Avatar Gets Best Screenplay Nod From WGA http://movies.insidepulse.com/2010/01/12/writers-guild-awards-nominations/ (http://movies.insidepulse.com/2010/01/12/writers-guild-awards-nominations/) Roman Polanski Asks To Be Sentenced In Absentia http://latimesblogs.latimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:00:46 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/07/showbiz-sandbox-36-can-avatar-beat-titanic-heck-no/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/07/showbiz-sandbox-36-can-avatar-beat-titanic-heck-no/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:31:24 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=606 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/07/showbiz-sandbox-36-can-avatar-beat-titanic-heck-no/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Grey's Anatomy","The Hurt Locker","Titanic",Bono,Disney,Flixter,Fox,James Bond,James Cameron,Jonathan Handel,Kathryn Bigelow “Avatar” continues its takeover of the box office, while “The Hurt Locker” appears to be taking over the awards season. James Cameron’s 3D labor of love entered the list of top 10 grossing films of all time and may be poised to become the highest gros... “Avatar” continues its takeover of the box office, while “The Hurt Locker” appears to be taking over the awards season. James Cameron’s 3D labor of love entered the list of top 10 grossing films of all time and may be poised to become the highest grossing movie ever, a title now held by another Cameron film, "Titanic". "Avatar" is now one of only five films to ever earn over a billion dollars world-wide. Now the prognostication begins about whether "Avatar" (and Cameron) will be nominated for an Academy Award? His ex-wife’s movie “The Hurt Locker” certainly seems to be headed that way. Director Kathryn Bigelow is earning raves for the film and she is being being heavily favored to be the first female to win a Best Director Oscar. Between Bigelow and Nancy Meyers (“It’s Complicated”), female directors, or at least the discussion of their recent success, is the topic du jour in Hollywood. Another favorite topic at the beginning a year is reflection and prediction. What were the top reviewed movies of the decade? Did you see any of them? What’s in store for us in the television world during 2010? What would U2's Bono do over the next ten years? Apparently, he'd police the Internet in hopes of catching intellectual property pirates. During Big Deal or Big Whoop we discuss Flixster's acqusition of Rotten Tomatoes and the potential director of the next James Bond film, among many other top entertainment headlines. Finally, entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel (http://digitalmedialaw.blogspot.com/) joins us for a little Inside Baseball discussion. He explains all the nitty gritty details of the squabble between Fox and TimeWarner cable squabble. Jonathan tells us why it happened and what it might mean for cable television (and television viewers) going forward. 'The Hurt Locker' Sweeps National Society of Film Critics Awards http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/01/national-society-of-film-critics-best-picture-the-hurt-locker-8195362847-entertainment-news.html (http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/01/national-society-of-film-critics-best-picture-the-hurt-locker-8195362847-entertainment-news.html) Top Women Director? Nancy Meyers http://www.the-numbers.com/people/directors/NMEYE.php (http://www.the-numbers.com/people/directors/NMEYE.php) 'Potter', 'Avatar' Spur Box Office Record In '09 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6021IX20100103?type=filmNews (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6021IX20100103?type=filmNews) Cinema Surpassed DVD Sales In 2009 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704789404574636531903626624.html (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704789404574636531903626624.html) Best Reviewed Movies of the Decade http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/01/02/best_reviewed_movies_of_the_decade_pans_labyrinth_man_on_wire/ (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/01/02/best_reviewed_movies_of_the_decade_pans_labyrinth_man_on_wire/) Library Of Congress Adds 25 To Registry http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013168.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013168.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1) Bono's Ten For The Next Ten http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/opinion/03bono.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/opinion/03bono.html) Flixster Buys Rotten Tomatoes http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/04/flixter-to-acquire-rotten-tomatoes/ (http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/04/flixter-to-acquire-rotten-tomatoes/) Lenny Kravitz Says He Did Not Leak Michael Jackson Song http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/lenny-kravitz-says-he-did-not-leak-michael-jackson-video/ (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/lenny-kravitz-says-he-did-not-leak-michael-jackson-video/) Kim Raver Joins Grey's Anatomy Full Time http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ic3390a5158a31029014f3c1d1cc72acc (http://www.hollywoodreporter. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:07:38 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/28/showbiz-sandbox-35-women-in-hollywood-its-complicated/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/28/showbiz-sandbox-35-women-in-hollywood-its-complicated/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:44:02 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=587 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/28/showbiz-sandbox-35-women-in-hollywood-its-complicated/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Glee","It's Complicated","Jackass",Apple,Brittany Murphy,Charlie Sheen,DirecTV,Disney,Electronic Arts,Idina Menzel,Joe Flint You know it's a slow entertainment news week when J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward, and Michael Giltz wind up talking about their personal arrest records. However even during the holiday season we can find showbiz news to talk about, You know it's a slow entertainment news week when J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling), Karen Woodward (http://www.karenwoodwardonline.com), and Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) wind up talking about their personal arrest records. However even during the holiday season we can find showbiz news to talk about, not to mention places to talk. Michael joins us from the boisterous Cranky Café where he was enjoying homemade mac and cheese (and free Wifi). America was sinning over the holidays, and by that we mean seeing movies on Christmas Day. Avatar set box office records with a $75 million North American gross and a $145 million international gross, but is it really a good movie? One movie that Karen and Michael agree is not at all good is "It’s Complicated", and yet it’s doing rather well at the box office – is that because women are so starved for a decent “women’s film” that they will see whatever is in theatres? Speaking of women's films, or lack thereof, Karen digs up a couple of interesting news pieces focusing on the lack of a strong female presence in Hollywood, both on screen and off. The end of a year always brings best of lists and future predictions, so we chose to focus on a Chicago Tribune blog focusing on the decade of television, and a Los Angeles Times article on what to expect from the world of big media during the next year. Get ready for a turbulent 2010! Finally, as actor Charlie Sheen gets arrested in Colorado for domestic abuse, rumors surface that Apple is busy putting together an online television subscription plan. Will such an offering change the way we watch TV? Avatar Grosses 145 Million As Fox International Sets Box Office Industry Record http://www.screendaily.com/news/distribution/avatar-grosses-145m.... (http://www.screendaily.com/news/distribution/avatar-grosses-145m-as-fox-intl-sets-bo-industry-record/5009311.article) Times Critic On Hollywood, Women & Why Romantic Comedies Suck http://jezebel.com/5426065/fuck-them-times-critic-on-hollywood-women.... (http://jezebel.com/5426065/fuck-them-times-critic-on-hollywood-women--why-romantic-comedies-suck) Women & Film http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/.... (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102300194.html?sid=ST2009102204685) Women In The Seats But Not Behind The Camera http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/movies/13dargis.html?_r=3&ref=movies (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/movies/13dargis.html?_r=3&ref=movies) Get Ready For A Turbulent 2010 In Media http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-predictions28-2009dec28,0,2942337.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-predictions28-2009dec28,0,2942337.story) Thoughts on the Aughts: What made the Golden Age of TV glow? http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/12/tv-influences.... (http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/12/tv-influences-lost-veronica-mars-sopranos-deadwood.html) Get Ready For A Turbulent 2010 In Media http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-predictions28-2009dec28,0,2942337.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-predictions28-2009dec28,0,2942337.story) Brittany Murphy Was Warned About Husband Simon Monjack But Did Not Listen http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/12/26/2009-12-26_director_brittany_murphy.... (http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/12/26/2009-12-26_director_brittany_murphy_was_warned_about_husband_simon_monjack_but_did_not_list.html#ixzz0ay3PleUv) Family, Friends Remember Brittany Murphy At Funeral Service http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/family-friends-remember-brittany.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/family-friends-remember-brittany-murphy-at-funeral-service.htm) Singer Songwriter Vic Chestnut Has Died http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2009/12/vic_chesnutt_in_coma_1.html (http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2009/12/vic_chesnutt_in_coma_1. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:08:04 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/21/showbiz-sandbox-34-hollywoods-box-office-billions-set-new-record/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/21/showbiz-sandbox-34-hollywoods-box-office-billions-set-new-record/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:55:30 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=571 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/21/showbiz-sandbox-34-hollywoods-box-office-billions-set-new-record/feed/ 0 "Avatar","X Factor",American Idol,Amy Winehouse,Box Office,Brittany Murphy,Chris Brown,Daniel Frankel,Fox TV,Golden Globes,Hollywood.com,Nancy O'Dell We are joined this week by two of the film industry's top box office pundits, Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com and Daniel Frankel of TheWrap.com. They help us understand how the North American box office surpassed $10 billion in 2009 while releasin... We are joined this week by two of the film industry's top box office pundits, Paul Dergarabedian (http://ontherun.hollywood.com/) of Hollywood.com (http://www.thewrap.com) and Daniel Frankel (http://www.thewrap.com/users/daniel-frankel) of TheWrap.com (http://www.thewrap.com). They help us understand how the North American box office surpassed $10 billion in 2009 while releasing few films during an economic recession. Of course, we also touch on "Avatar's" opening weekend box office and the worldwide spin it's distributor claims makes the film a huge hit. But we promise this week’s episode won’t be entirely about Avatar! We also discuss the untimely death of actress Brittany Murphy and the rumor mongering it set off among online tabloids. The Golden Globe nominations were announced mid week. Were there any surprises? What about snubs? Which noms will carry over to the Oscars, and what can be done to get audiences to actually watch the Oscars? There's also a ton of television and music news, such as the rumor that Simon Cowell might leave "American Idol" (oh no!), the list of next year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees (ABBA!) and an old Rage Against The Machine song beating out this year's winner of "X Factor" on the U.K. singles charts during Christmas week (huh?!). We even have time for a little theater news. (That’s right, theater! With real live actors!). In fact, we get a proper briefing on audience participation at English holiday pantomimes, or pantos, and a lesson from singer Amy Winehouse in how not to behave at one. We finish with a special Inside Baseball Christmas card from our friends at Fox TV. And don't worry if you don't understand the studio's sentiment. It's an inside joke. 2009's Box Office Paradox: Fewer Movies, Record Revenues http://www.thewrap.com/article/domestic-bo-shatters-revenue-record-11626 (http://www.thewrap.com/article/domestic-bo-shatters-revenue-record-11626) Actress Brittany Murphy Dies at 32 http://www.tmz.com/2009/12/20/brittany-murphy-dies-cardiac-arrest/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/12/20/brittany-murphy-dies-cardiac-arrest/) Brittany Murphy Dead; Drugs Among Rumored Causes http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2512557/brittany_murphy_dead.... (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2512557/brittany_murphy_dead_drugs_among_rumored.html?cat=40) Perez Tells Linday Lohan, Courtney Love To Learn From Murphy's Death http://www.popeater.com/2009/12/20/perez-hilton-lindsay-lohan.... (http://www.popeater.com/2009/12/20/perez-hilton-lindsay-lohan-brittany-murphy-twitter/) Golden Globe Nominations http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/ (http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/) New Movie Trailers Could Boost Oscar Ratings http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/awards.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/awards/news/e3ia0d444a2a4b3e35ac2de15bec376f641) Simon Cowell May Leave American Idol http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/the_end_of_idol.... (http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/the_end_of_idol_n8oVAtw5nD9N5qumfsrSmL) YouTube Video Leads To Contract http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8417789.stm?ls (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8417789.stm?ls) YouTube's Most Watched Videos Of 2009 http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2009/12/youtubes-most-watched-videos.... (http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2009/12/youtubes-most-watched-videos-of-2009-susan-boyle-battles-a-pitbull.html) Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced http://www.billboard.com/#/news/stooges-genesis-abba-get-rock-hall-of-fame.... (http://www.billboard.com/#/news/stooges-genesis-abba-get-rock-hall-of-fame-1004053618.story) Amid The Many Bloated Musicals, Originality Sneaks In http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-mcnultyessay20.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-mcnultyessay20-2009dec20,0,3623076.story) Michael Jackson's Death Voted Top Entertainment News Story http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/14/showbiz-sandbox-33-avatar-is-a-100-hamburger/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/14/showbiz-sandbox-33-avatar-is-a-100-hamburger/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:15:02 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=556 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/14/showbiz-sandbox-33-avatar-is-a-100-hamburger/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Conveyor Belt of Love","Flight of the Conchords","It's Complicated","Jersey Shore","The Princess and the Frog",Academy Awards,Al Pacino,Billboard,Boston Society of Film Critics,Franklin Leonard,James Rocchi James Rocchi was one of the lucky entertainment journalists invited to the “Avatar” premiere and press junket in London and he joins us this week to tell us all about it. Rocchi also helps us dissect all those year-end "Top 10" critics lists, James Rocchi (http://rocchireport.com/) was one of the lucky entertainment journalists invited to the “Avatar” premiere and press junket in London and he joins us this week to tell us all about it. Rocchi (http://www.twitter.com/jamesrocchi) also helps us dissect all those year-end "Top 10" critics lists, not to mention one that rates the year's best unproduced screenplays. Who do you think will be on the red carpet at Oscar time? And the Best of 2009 lists extend into television and music territory as well. The Los Angeles Times rounded up the TV winners and losers for the season (and we compare them to our own predictions for this year's television series from Episode 22). Meanwhile, SoundScan released the best selling albums and artists of the decade. Guess how many of them were released before 2002? Listen to the podcast to find out. We sail through some of the week's top entertainment news headlines in our Big Deal/Big Whoop segment, including the possibility of a "Ghostbusters 3" sequel in the works. We close out the show with some seriously insider Inside Baseball: Daily Variety got a new editor, and the Finkelstein Group bought the Billboard (hey, maybe Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) can take over their website), The Hollywood Reporter, and a few other trade publications. Lachlin Murdoch, however, was not a part of the group purchasing Nielsen Business Media, as he opted to buy a 50% stake in an Australian Radio Station. What does this say about the future of print? "Avatar" Embargo Smashed http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/archives/2009/12/avatar_embargo.html (http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/archives/2009/12/avatar_embargo.html) Critics Group Awards Roundup: 'Avatar' and 'Hurt Locker' Win Accolades http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/13/critics-group-awards-roundup-avatar.... (http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/13/critics-group-awards-roundup-avatar-takes-ny-online-critics-top-honor-the-hurt-locker-rakes-in-accolades/) http://www.afi.com/ (http://www.afi.com/) Muppet Fur Flies Over Jim Henson Script http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/12/muppet-fur.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/12/muppet-fur-flies-over-jim-henson-script.html) The Black ist - Top 11 Unproduced Screenplays of 2009 http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/12/11/black-list-2009-screenplays/ (http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/12/11/black-list-2009-unproduced-screenplays/) New Paramount Division Will Think Small http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-paramount11-2009dec11,0,155266.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-paramount11-2009dec11,0,155266.story) Network TV Winners and Losers http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-winners-losers16.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-winners-losers16-2009nov16,0,1996196.story) MTV's 'Jersey Shore' Garners Critics Over The Use Of The Term 'Guido' http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/mtv-show-jersey-shore-angers-italian.... (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/mtv-show-jersey-shore-angers-italian-american-groups/story?id=9292815) ABC Rolling Out 'Conveyor Belt Of Love' http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/12/abc-rolling-out-conveyor-belt-of-love.html (http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/12/abc-rolling-out-conveyor-belt-of-love.html) Billboard's Year End Lists http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-year-end/hot-100-songs?year=2009 (http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-year-end/hot-100-songs?year=2009) http://www.billboard.com/#/../../charts-year-end/the-billboard-200?year=2009 (http://www.billboard.com/#/../../charts-year-end/the-billboard-200?year=2009) Flight Of The Conchords Is Grounded http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/12/flight-of-the-conchords.... (http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/12/flight-of-the-conchords-is-grounded.html) Academy Screenings of "Invictus" and "Nine" Rained out http://goldderby.latimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/30/showbiz-sanbox-31-blind-sided-by-adam-lamberts-double-standard/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/30/showbiz-sanbox-31-blind-sided-by-adam-lamberts-double-standard/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:41:01 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=524 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/30/showbiz-sanbox-31-blind-sided-by-adam-lamberts-double-standard/feed/ 0 "Avatar","FlashForward","The Blind Side","Twilight Saga: New Moon","Up In The Air",Adam Lambert,Eminem,George Clooney,James Cameron,Jason Reitman,Jay Leno,Lachlan Murdoch While we all still may be sluggish from all the turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, the North American box office sure wasn't. It set a record for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as once again "The Blind Side" surprises everyone. While we all still may be sluggish from all the turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, the North American box office sure wasn't. It set a record for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as once again "The Blind Side" surprises everyone. The Sandra Bullock m... J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/16/showbiz-sandbox-29-camped-out-for-twilight-new-moon/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/16/showbiz-sandbox-29-camped-out-for-twilight-new-moon/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:38:12 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=495 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/16/showbiz-sandbox-29-camped-out-for-twilight-new-moon/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs","Fantastic Mr. Fox","Gossip Girl","Twilight: New Moon",Adam Lambert,AO Scott,Claudia Eller,Disney,Fandango,Hollywood Reporter,James Cameron There was a debate over titling this week’s episode "The Profanity Podcast "due to some various disagreements and the name of a new sitcom. Intrigued? Read on. - Harry Medved from Fandango.com joins us briefly to talk about next week’s number one movie... There was a debate over titling this week’s episode "The Profanity Podcast "due to some various disagreements and the name of a new sitcom. Intrigued? Read on. Harry Medved (http://twitter.com/FandangoNews) from Fandango.com (http://www.fandango.com/movieblog/) joins us briefly to talk about next week’s number one movie at the box office, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” (Did we get the name right? Can’t we just call it “New Moon” or “Twilight 2”?) Yes, that’s right, we’re prognosticating next week’s number one movie in North America. Hey, when women of all ages are lining up just to catch a glimpse of Robert Pattinson and/or Taylor Lautner at the premiere, you know you might have a hit on your hands. Speaking of hits, is Twentieth Century Fox taking a huge risk by bankrolling a film based on an unfamiliar story with no Hollywood superstars and a budget approaching $500 million? We’re talking about “Avatar,” and particularly Michael Cieply's article in the New York Times’ on the film directed by James Cameron. (So, is Cameron himself not a superstar?) John Horn and Claudia Eller from the Los Angeles Times write that the movie's price tag continues to climbe and that its global marketing campaign could cost as much as $150 million, "Avatar" won't have to do "Titanic" business to make money, but it will have to fill auditoriums around the world for weeks to become profitable. A genre that has proven to be very profitable is animation and family films. But how many of these are really suitable for kids? AO Scott from the New York Times points out that some of the best films are too scary for adults but kids enjoy them just fine. Maybe parents will change their mind if one of these scary animated films wins an Oscar; there are 20 animated films in contention this year for Best Animated Feature. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is one of the animated titles vying for an Academy Award. Sony is using the movie as a guinea pig for a new way to distribute entertainment directly to consumers. They’re offering the film online via Internet-TVs, the Play Station 3 and specially equipped Blu-Ray players a month before it is released on DVD. This has movie theatre owners steaming. But is this really an experiment in distribution, or just a way for Sony to sell more televisions, Blu-Ray playes and video game consoles? Speaking of television, Fox cancelled Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” and ABC canceled the sitcom “Hank” starring Kelsey Grammer. Bet that’s the last time Whedon does a show for Fox. Also meeting their demise are some of the employees at Al Gore’s Current TV. The network recently let 80 staffers go, as it shifts away from in-house production and towards out sourcing segments, which will be done via acquisitions, co-productions, and the use of outside studios. In music news, John Mayer’s new album “Battle Studies” was leaked online, followed by a battle of his own with a reporter for New York Magazine. Karen Woodward (http://www.industrynexus.com) and Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) have their own battle over who was in the right – Mayer or the newbie journalist, Christianna Ablahad (http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/10/john_mayer_threatens_to_sodomi.html). We cruise through our favorite segment Big Deal or Big Whoop this week covering a wide range of topics; from a new sitcom based on a Twitter poster whose crude username we won't mention here to Omarosa of "The Apprentice" returning to reality television. Finally, we discuss yet another executive shift at Disney. Mark Zoradi the president of Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group and who had been with the studio for 29 years has been ousted. It looks like new studio head Rich Ross is bringing in his own team. 'New Moon' Fans Camping Out In Westwood http://community.livejournal.com/taytay_daily/114637.html (http://community.livejournal.com/taytay_daily/114637.html) For Avatar Budget Pops From The Screen http://www.nytimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/03/showbiz-sandbox-27-thats-it-for-this-is-it-2/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/03/showbiz-sandbox-27-thats-it-for-this-is-it-2/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:28:03 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=481 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/03/showbiz-sandbox-27-thats-it-for-this-is-it-2/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Precious","This Is It",Anthony Hopkins,Disney,Hulu,January Jones,Jeffrey Katzenberg,Keychest,Michael Jackson,Miramax,Nicolas Cage This week we begin with Michael Giltz and Karen Woodward disagreeing over “This Is It,” the Michael Jackson documentary/concert film/eulogy. Is the film recommendable? Not according to the box office numbers, This week we begin with Michael Giltz and Karen Woodward disagreeing over “This Is It,” the Michael Jackson documentary/concert film/eulogy. Is the film recommendable? Not according to the box office numbers, where the film brought in a disappointing $23 million. But since the film made $103 million worldwide J. Sperling Reich wanted to serve Michael some crow pie. If you don’t want to see “This Is It,” maybe you’ll see “Avatar”? The second trailer for the highly anticipated film was released this week, after the first one bombed. The new trailer looks like this movie is actually about something. How about “Precious”? Sperling and Michael disagree over whether this movie is a heart tugging Oscar winner or shallow drivel. Speaking of shallow, did Jeffrey Katzenberg really add anything new to the future of entertainment conversation in his recent Business Week interview? Seems more like a politician staying message then a mogul adding to the dialogue. But the folks at his old stomping grounds -- Disney -- may be adding to the debate by unveiling technology that will enable entertainment companies to adapt their business models to a new reality in which consumers increasingly rely on computers and cell phones in place of DVD players and TVs. But does anyone care? As usual there is a healthy debate in our little corner of the sandbox. One thing we do agree on is that anyone who DVRs a show and says he/she is still watching the commercials has to be lying. Who would watch the ads if they didn’t have to? Sperling for one: turns out that he uses the commercial time to multi-task. What will advertisers dream up for the rest of us who actually fast forward through brand messaging? We have some ideas. This week we also return to some old stories, such as Hulu (do they have a right to charge viewers?) and Letterman (is he a letch?); take a risk examining Scientology (thanks to filmmaker Paul Haggis); and ponder over why critics actually liked the latest Broadway revivalk of “Finian’s Rainbow.” Some of the stories we touch on in our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment include Anthony Hopkins starring in "Thor", U2's concert webcast getting 10 million streams on YouTube and Google coming up with a new way to search for music. During Inside Baseball, no we’re not talking the World Series, we’re talking the death of Miramax. What would Harvey do? 'This Is It' As His Personal Thriller http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-patterson3-2009nov03,0,5784621.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-patterson3-2009nov03,0,5784621.story) Avatar trailer #2 http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi531039513/ (http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi531039513/) The Audacity of Precious http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25precious-t.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25precious-t.html) Katzenberg: A Front Row Seat At The Movies http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_45/b4154013688591.htm (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_45/b4154013688591.htm) Disney Touts A Way To Ditch The DVD http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703816204574485650026945222.html (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703816204574485650026945222.html) Once Again, DVR's Not Killing TV, But Helping It http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091101/2150456755.shtml (http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091101/2150456755.shtml) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/business/media/02ratings.html?pagewanted=all (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/business/media/02ratings.html?pagewanted=all) Don't Touch That Dial http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_45/b4154030720509.htm (http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2009/10/pandora-hulu-what-happened-to-free.html) Hulu: What happened to free? http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2009/10/pandora-hulu-what-happened-to-free.html (http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2009/10/pandora-hulu-what-happened-to-free.html) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/24/showbiz-sandbox-17-twitter-makes-movie-critics-important-again/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/24/showbiz-sandbox-17-twitter-makes-movie-critics-important-again/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:36:52 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=329 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/24/showbiz-sandbox-17-twitter-makes-movie-critics-important-again/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Dancing With The Stars","Dirty Dancing","Inglorious Basterds","Shutter Island","Yellow Submarine",Anne Thompson,IndieWire,Paramount Pictures,Radiohead,Redbox,Thom Yorke Anne Thompson of “Thompson On Hollywood” joins us again this week, with big news of her own: Her blog is now a part of the indieWire network, where she will shine the Hollywood light on outlet which has traditionally covered the indie scene. Anne Thompson of “Thompson On Hollywood” joins us again this week, with big news of her own: Her blog is now a part of the indieWire network, where she will shine the Hollywood light on outlet which has traditionally covered the indie scene. Thompson can now be read at http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood), and you can always follow her on twitter at twitter.com/akstanwyck (http://www.twitter.com/akstanwyck). Speaking of Twitter, is the social media platform responsible for the successful opening weekend of “Inglorious Basterds”? “Bruno” and “GI Joe” plummeted at the box office within their opening weekends, and box office watchers posit that social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have a lot to do with it. Bad news travels fast. Obviously so does good news – and the best news is that studios may have to start making – gasp – watchable movies! Friday, August 21st was Avatar Day, when fans could hustle over to their nearest IMAX theatre to watch 16 minutes of 3D footage from James Cameron’s “Avatar.” The web site on which people could reserve tickets crashed on the first day because demand was so high, but apparently many theaters were near empty. Could that have anything to do with the trailer being available online beforehand? Entertainment journalist Michael Giltz (http://www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz) saw both versions of the trailer and didn't think either were engaging. Paramount is pushing “Shutter Island,” the Leonardo DiCaprio movie directed by Martin Scorsese, to February. This may be a sign that the film isn’t Oscar worthy, or perhaps it’s not meant to be Oscar worthy. It's certainly ture that Paramount doesn’t have the budget to both market the movie's release and promote an Oscar campaign. Paramount seems to be doing a lot of dumping these days following the shuttering of Paramount Vantage. Of course when one of those movies is “The Goods” starring Jeremy Piven, it probably deserves to be dumped. Studios are clearly looking at the bottom line these days, as the recent hulabalu over Redbox demonstrates. TimeWarner chairman Jeff Bewkes compared Redbox to second-run movie theatres. According to Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times, by trying to keep their product away from Redbox for as long as possible, the studios are doing what all businesses do when threatened by dramatic change -- they're trying to hang on to their business model for as long as possible. Meanwhile, the Redbox antitrust suit against Universal was upheld… This is starting to sound like a movie that should star George Clooney. And we start our remake watch in this episode! Disney is in negotiations with Bob Zemeckis to direct a remake of the Beatles’ animated movie “Yellow Submarine,” Lionsgate is putting Baby back in the corner again (“Dirty Dancing”), and Bryan Singer is developing an “Excalibur” remake. Meanwhile in television is giving us plenty of reality shows, such as “Dancing with Stars,” which announced the line up for its ninth season, a list that included disgraced Congressman Tom Delay. In music news, Radiohead’s Thom York dissed the album format but that doesn’t mean free business models don't work…just ask, well, Radiohead and Thom York. Turns out they leaked their latest song on bittorrent. Someone who still believes in records is Willie Nelson, who is now following Giltz on Twitter. Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) thinks Nelson's new record "American Classic" is one of his best. And our Inside Baseball news this week focuses on the Hollywood Health Report. When this many deck chairs are about to be rearranged, folks in Hollywood start speculating which studios are on the rise and which might be in trouble. Anne Thompson helps us sort it all out. Twittering May Have Impact At The Box Office http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081904279.html?hpid=artsliving (http://www.washingtonpost. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/28/showbiz-sandbox-13-hooliganism-at-comic-con-or-lack-thereof/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/28/showbiz-sandbox-13-hooliganism-at-comic-con-or-lack-thereof/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:09:42 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=216 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/28/showbiz-sandbox-13-hooliganism-at-comic-con-or-lack-thereof/feed/ 0 "Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","District 9","Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince","Iron Man 2","Kick Ass","Lost","Sherlock Holmes","Twilight: New Moon",Ben Silverman,Beth Accomando,Chris Weitz We had a plethora of panelists this week, all of whom were in San Diego over the weekend to experience Comic-Con first hand. KPBS' Cinema Junkie blogger Beth Accomando covered the event for National Public Radio, Todd Gilchrist was there for Cinematical, We had a plethora of panelists this week, all of whom were in San Diego over the weekend to experience Comic-Con first hand. KPBS' Cinema Junkie (http://www.kpbs.org/news/blogs/cinema-junkie/) blogger Beth Accomando covered the event for National Public Radio (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106989064), Todd Gilchrist (http://twitter.com/mtgilchrist) was there for Cinematical (http://www.cinematical.com/bloggers/todd-gilchrist/), SciFi Wire (http://scifiwire.com/)'s news editor Patrick Lee (http://twitter.com/ripleycal) made the trip, as did Phillip Nakov (http://twitter.com/VoyagerOne) from MovieSet.com (http://movieset.com/) and Harry Medved (http://twitter.com/FandangoNews), who helped out with Fandango's coverage (http://www.fandango.com/commentator_comicconcentral_255) of the event as their director of public relations.  Also joining in on this week's fun is New York Daily News writer and Huffington Post blogger, Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com/). If you weren’t one of the 126,000 people attending Comic-Con, this episode will fill you in on what you missed.  There was whole day devoted to 3D movies, which apparently isn't just a gimmick anymore.  The big hits of Comic-Con were "District 9", "Avatar", "Kick Ass" and "Iron Man 2" and the biggest miss was Roland Emerich's next movie "2012" which is either so bad it's good, or so bad it's just plain bad.  Irrelevant whether it wowed people at the convention or not was "Twilight: New Moon", because fans just wanted to see Robert Pattinson .  Hundreds of young girls, their moms and a bunch of sensitive men camped out overnight to get into a jam packed "Twilight" panel. The festival was “the redemption of "New Moon" director Chris Weitz, who was clearly adored by his cast. It was definitely the panel with the most security. This year marked the first appearance by Tim Burton (as a presenter), Peter Jackson and Terry Gilliam. Johnny Depp stopped by to say two words (literally) in promotion of Burton's “Alice in Wonderland."  Robert Downey Jr. also made an appearance to help tout "Iron Man 2" and "Sherlock Holmes".  "Sherlock Holmes" reminded some of our panelists of "Wild Wild West", the movie, not the television show. Speaking of television, Comic-Con had panels for several TV shows, both old and new.  The panel for "Lost" was the big draw at this year's confab. Meanwhile, back in the regular world, a bunch of guinea pigs stole Harry Potter's thunder at the box office.  "G-Force" made $32 million beating out "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" which was in its second week.  Finally, the other shoe dropped at NBC, as the embattled chairman Ben Silverman jumped ship to form a new company with mogul Barry Diller. Studios Bring Another Dimension To Comic-Con http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/business/24avatar.html?_r=1&th&emc=th (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/business/24avatar.html?_r=1&th&emc=th) Comic-Con Wows Audiences, Studios http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006516.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006516.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Comic-Con's Buzz Makers http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-comicwrap27-2009jul27,0,310594.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-comicwrap27-2009jul27,0,310594.story) 3-D Wins The Day At Comic-Con http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006429.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006429.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Comic-Con: Visionaries Jackson, Cameron Talk Future http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/comiccon-visionaries-jackson-cameron-talk-future.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/comiccon-visionaries-jackson-cameron-talk-future.html) The Disney 3D Panel: Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton and Special Guest Johnny Depp http://tv.msn.com/superfans/comic-con/blog/the-disney-3d-panel-zemeckis-burton-torn-and-special-guest-johnny-depp/ (http://tv.msn. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/29/showbiz-sandbox-10-the-death-of-pop-pinup-girls-and-possibly-2d-movies/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/29/showbiz-sandbox-10-the-death-of-pop-pinup-girls-and-possibly-2d-movies/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:54:24 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=177 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/29/showbiz-sandbox-10-the-death-of-pop-pinup-girls-and-possibly-2d-movies/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen",Academy Awards,Farah Fawcett,James Cameron,Michael Giltz,Michael Jackson,Oscars,Roger Friedman,Showbiz 411,TMZ Roger Friedman, senior columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, and Showbiz411.com joins us along with writer Michael Giltz to discuss the death of Michael Jackson. Friedman has been covering Jackson since his first child molestation trial and is one of t... Roger Friedman, senior columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, and Showbiz411.com (http://www.showbiz411.com) joins us along with writer Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) to discuss the death of Michael Jackson. Friedman has been covering Jackson since his first child molestation trial and is one of the trusted reporters covering the pop star’s life and death. The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences announced this week that the Academy Awards would now nominate ten films in the Best Picture instead of the usual five. Will this allow more deserving movies a shot at the big prize, or is this blatant pandering for higher Nielsen ratings? "Transformers 2" stormed the world-wide box office over the weekend, but that still doesn’t make it a good movie. J. Sperling Reich was lucky enough to get a peak at footage of James Cameron’s new 3D movie “Avatar” and shares as much as he thinks the studio will allow. And finally, the death of Michael Jackson promptly kicked Farrah Fawcett’s death into the sidebar. But whose death affected us more? Write to us at dirt@showbizsandbox.com (http://mailto:dirt@showbizsandbox.com) or call us at (888) 567-SAND (7263). A Star Idolized And Haunted, Michael Jackson Dies At 50 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/arts/music/26jackson.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=michael%20jackson&st=cse (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/arts/music/26jackson.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=michael%20jackson&st=cse) Roger Friedman’s Michael Jackson Coverage On Showbiz 411 http://www.showbiz411.com/tag/michael-jackson (http://www.showbiz411.com/tag/michael-jackson) TV Misses Out As Gossip Website TMZ Reports Michael Jackson’s Death First http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jackson-media26-2009jun26,0,1993773.story (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jackson-media26-2009jun26,0,1993773.story) Oscar Expands Best Pic Noms To 10 http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005322.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005322.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Two More Oscar Tweaks http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005473.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005473.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Hollywood Studios Not Entirely Enamored With New Oscar Plan http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/hollywood-studios-not-entirely-enamored-with-new-oscar-plan/ (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/hollywood-studios-not-entirely-enamored-with-new-oscar-plan/) “Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen” Rises With Optimal Debut http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2601&p=.htm (http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2601&p=.htm) “Avatar” Footage In Action At Cinema Expo http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0849a35b3cfeb85952ed517dddd406bf (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0849a35b3cfeb85952ed517dddd406bf) “Avatar” Footage Impressions – “Everybody Just Gasped” http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2009/06/exclusive-avatar-footage-impressions.html (http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2009/06/exclusive-avatar-footage-impressions.html) Farah Fawcett Dies At 62 http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-farrah-fawcett26-2009jun26,0,4388762.story?track=rss (http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-farrah-fawcett26-2009jun26,0,4388762.story?track=rss) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/15/showbiz-sandbox-8-everybodys-a-critic-on-the-internet/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/15/showbiz-sandbox-8-everybodys-a-critic-on-the-internet/#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:42:41 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=140 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/15/showbiz-sandbox-8-everybodys-a-critic-on-the-internet/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Conan The Barbarian","G.I. Joe","The Hangover","The Taking of Pelham 123",Adam Lambert,Danny Boyle,DVDs,James Cameron,Jay Leno,Marcus Nispel,Michael Cieply This week “The Hangover” hung around, and “The Taking of Pelham 123” opened at lower numbers than expected. Was the film miscast? - James Cameron proves he’s King of the World, or at least of the digital age, This week “The Hangover” hung around, and “The Taking of Pelham 123” opened at lower numbers than expected. Was the film miscast? James Cameron proves he’s King of the World, or at least of the digital age, by pushing game publisher Ubisoft to create the videogame industry's first stereoscopic title. What does this mean for future relationships between films and videogames? In other film news, “Slumdog Millionaire” director Danny Boyle signed a three year deal with Fox Searchlight; the quasi-classic “Conan The Barbarian” will be remade; and rumors abound that the director of the summer action film “G.I. Joe” was fired. Plus, DVD fans may have to wait a little longer until movies they didn’t bother seeing in the theaters are available for viewing on the couch. Despite repeated warnings, chaos still ensued when the switch to digital TV finally happened in the United States. And though there were obvious clues about his sexual orientation, “American Idol” runner up Adam Lambert finally came out to Rolling Stone magazine. Plus, the debate rages on: Can Jay Leno survive at 10pm? Advertisers sure aren’t happy about his new time slot. And finally: How important are film critics anyway? Just ask the new online movie review aggregator Movie Review Intelligence. "Hangover", "Up" Lead Box Office Again http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie636164bd8df42b4e99a0ad58738f98b (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie636164bd8df42b4e99a0ad58738f98b) James Cameron's Game Changer? http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004911.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004911.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Danny Boyle Signs 3-Year Deal http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004862.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004862.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Marcus Nispel To Remake Conan http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/12/marcus-nispel-directing-conan-the-barbarian/ (http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/12/marcus-nispel-directing-conan-the-barbarian/) DVD Fans Wait A Little Longer http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/994/994433p1.html (http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/994/994433p1.html) G.I. Joe Fracas http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/06/gi-joe-fracas-2.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/06/gi-joe-fracas-2.html) The Liberation Of Adam Lambert http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/06/09/the-new-issue-of-rolling-stone-the-liberation-of-adam-lambert/ (http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/06/09/the-new-issue-of-rolling-stone-the-liberation-of-adam-lambert/) Adam Lambert Has Come Out To Rolling Stone, And Change Has Come Indeed http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/06/the-days-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-are-over-for-adam-lambert-actually-this-seasons-groundbreaking-idol-never-really-subscribed.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/06/the-days-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-are-over-for-adam-lambert-actually-this-seasons-groundbreaking-idol-never-really-subscribed.html) Jay Leno As Adman? http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/whats-nbcus-zucker-gonna-do-now-david-letterman-tops-conan-obrien-in-last-nights-ratings/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/whats-nbcus-zucker-gonna-do-now-david-letterman-tops-conan-obrien-in-last-nights-ratings/) Everybody’s a Movie Critic: New Websites and Online Readers Chime In http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/movies/13critics.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=michael%20cieply%20+%20rottentomatoes&st=cse (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/movies/13critics.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=michael%20cieply%20+%20rottentomatoes&st=cse) Movie Review Intelligence http://moviereviewintelligence.com (http://moviereviewintelligence.com/) Homework: Michael Cieply Reading List Will Warner Grow Tired of New Line, It’s Pet Indie? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/business/media/07newline.html (http://www.nytimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no